美私人太空船“冲出大气层”并安全返航
文章来源: 文章作者: 发布时间:2006-09-15 07:21 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Private manned rocket plane makes history

导读:
一架有人驾驶的美国火箭太空船21日清晨飞到了距离地表60英里左右(大约100公里)的高空,然后成功在没有动力的情况下安全滑翔返回地面,从而成功实现了首次私人赞助的太空探险活动。据悉,本次航行活动持续了90多分钟。这架火箭飞行器首先由名为“白色骑士”的喷气式飞机运送到高空,然后再通过点燃其自身的火箭发动机而继续向外层空间挺进。驾驶火箭飞机的62岁飞行员表示,亲眼见到地球表面曲线的感觉“妙不可言”。本次试验活动由微软公司创办人之一的艾伦出资2000万美元进行赞助。这架火箭飞机上设有三个座位,加上可以重复使用,为今后顺利推出 “普通人太空游”开了个好头。

从电视直播画面上看,悬挂在“白骑士”下面的“太空船一号”在当地时间周一清晨升空。母船花了一个多小时将“太空船一号”载至15,450米高空,然后与其成功分离。紧接着,飞行员发动火箭引擎,并以时速4,025公里垂直攀升至约50公里高空,在火箭引擎关闭后,太空船将再向上“冲”到约距离地面103公里的太空。自重不到三吨的太空船在如此高度停留了数分钟,期间驾驶员体验失重感觉,并亲眼目睹漆黑一片的太空和地球大气层,整个过程一直持续至太空船返回约60公里的高空后才宣告结束。随后,太空船开始降落,这时它的双尾梁和机翼后半部均向上旋转,直至跟船身成直角,以帮助船体减速。

当“太空船一号”重新进入大气层时,尾梁将旋转回原来位置,飞行员驾驶着没有任何动力的太空船滑翔几十分钟后,平安返回莫哈韦机场,整个测试活动成功结束。据悉,“太空船一号”由美国加州的航空航天公司Scaled Composites建造,整个研究计划秘密进行了多年。今年5月,“太空船一号”曾经成功飞到65公里高空,创下非政府资助航天计划最高飞行高度纪录。此前,“太空船一号”的发明人曾因设计了可“不加油不着陆”环绕地球飞行的“旅行者”号轻型飞机而名声大噪。驾驶“太空船一号”的飞行员老当益壮,虽已经年逾六旬,但仍因拥有数千小时飞行经验,加上曾试验过上前种固定翼和直升飞机实地经验相当丰富而勇闯太空。

June 21, 2004


A 63-year-old test pilot(试飞员) rode a stubby white rocket plane into history Monday, becoming the first person to fly a privately1 operated vehicle to suborbital space(亚轨道空间) -- but the craft just barely made its altitude goal.

Preliminary data showed that Michael Melvill flew SpaceShipOne, a bulbous-nosed vehicle reminiscent of something out of Buck2 Rogers(美国出品的科幻电影), to an altitude of 328,491 feet, or just beyond the minimum target of 100 kilometers (62.14 miles) that is recognized by international authorities as the beginning of space.

The brief but path-breaking(开创性的) flight was hailed by space enthusiasts3 as the dawn of what could eventually become fairly routine access to suborbital space -- by those willing to pay the price.

The tiny craft experienced some potentially disastrous4 control problems that caused anxious moments for Melvill.

"I was a little afraid on the way down," he told a post-landing press briefing. Burt Rutan, the designer of the space plane, said the mission was less than perfect but still a success. He said the team had hoped for an altitude of 360,000 feet, or 68.18 miles.

Rutan said the control problem, in which one of the horizontal tail wings was out of balance with the other, required Melvill to use a backup system to put them into a level configuration5 for a proper landing. He said the problem, which is still being investigated, was the most serious safety issue the craft has experienced since it began a series of flights at lower altitudes.

The issue must be understood, Rutan said, before the team attempts to go for the $10 million Ansari X Prize, which is being offered to the first craft that flies to 100 kilometers twice in two weeks with a pilot and the weight equivalent of two passengers.

The problems did not dampen the enthusiasm of Rutan and Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft Corp., who is paying for the project to the tune6 of more than $20 million so far. "It's an incredibly exciting day for private space initiatives," Allen said.

SpaceShipOne was ferried aloft from Mojave Airport into the bright desert sky by its insect-like mother ship called the White Knight7. After an hour climbing in circles to about 46,000 feet above the airport, SpaceShipOne was released and fired its hybrid-fuel rocket. Melvill said the craft rolled first left, then right as he acted to stabilize8 it as it climbed nearly straight up at a maximum speed of almost three times the speed of sound.

Melvill, a South African who is a U.S. citizen, said he experienced just over three minutes of weightlessness. He released some candy-coated chocolates in the cockpit(飞机座舱) at the apogee(远地点), and they "just spun9 around like little sparkling things," he said.

Melvill said he was surprised by the high-frequency roar of air rushing past his cockpit during the supersonic re-entry through the atmosphere. "That's very, very intimidating," he said. He also was startled by a loud bang, apparently10 caused by the partial buckling11 of an aerodynamic cover that surrounds the rocket nozzle.

But Melvill was ebullient12 upon gliding13 his craft back to a landing in front of thousands of onlookers14. He thrust his arms into the air. Rutan and Allen hugged him and Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to walk on the moon, shook his hand.

Patricia Grace Smith, the Federal Aviation Administration's associate administrator15 for commercial space transportation, gave Melvill the agency's first commercial astronaut wings and presented a commemorative plaque16 to Rutan. "Space travel and space tourism, low cost access to space, are a lot closer than they were just Monday," said Smith, whose office licenses18 suborbital space flights.

"Get your checkbooks ready. Space tourism is coming," said Peter Diamandis, co-founder of the Ansari X Prize competition.

Whether the flight will usher19 in a new era remains20 to be seen, specialists say. The cost of such brief flights to the edge of space is expected to be as much as $100,000 a ticket initially21 and could be years away, particularly if regulatory uncertainties22 remain about the licensing23 of flights with fare-paying passengers.

But Rutan, an innovative24 aerospace25 engineer who wants to bring the excitement of space flight to the masses, is undeterred. "The new private space entrepreneurs have a vision," he said. "I'm one of them. We do want our children to go to the planets. We are willing to seek breakthroughs by taking risks. And if the business-as-usual space developers continue their decades-long pace, they will be gazing from the slow lanes as we speed into the new space age."

He said suborbital flights are just a first step. "We do not plan to stay in low earth orbit for decades," Rutan said before Monday's flight. "Hold on -- the next 25 years will be a wild ride, that's my prediction."

A suborbital flight is much less challenging than sending a space shuttle(航天飞机) into orbit at 24 times the speed of sound. NASA has had nothing to do with the SpaceShipOne project, but space agency administrator Sean O'Keefe, in a statement, applauded "their remarkable26 achievement." He said the team was "doing much to open the door to a new marketplace offering the experience of weightlessness and suborbital space flight to the public."

Rutan predicted suborbital flights costing about $10,000 could be available within 10 to 15 years. He said he has been struck by the public's enthusiasm.

"Clearly, there is an enormous pent-up hunger to fly in space and not just dream about it," Rutan said. His point resonated among some of the spectators who drove to the Mojave Airport, a small commercial facility that has just won a federal license17 as a spaceport.

"Where do I sign up," asked Mike Sawicki, 56, an aviation buff and pilot from Perris, Calif.

Luther Johnson, 43, an electronics technician from Joshua Tree, Calif., spoke27 knowingly of the lightweight composite materials used and the simplicity28 of the design. "It's destined29 to change the way we think about going to space," he said.

There was much talk of the Wright Brothers and Charles Lindbergh among many spectators, some of whom said they came to the airstrip with a clear sense of the moment. "Sometimes the country needs a boost like this," said Deborah Talbot, 54, of Fernley, Nev. "I want to see the space program get that kind of boost. I don't want to see it die."



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 privately IkpzwT     
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地
参考例句:
  • Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
  • The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。
2 buck ESky8     
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
参考例句:
  • The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
  • The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
3 enthusiasts 7d5827a9c13ecd79a8fd94ebb2537412     
n.热心人,热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册
4 disastrous 2ujx0     
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的
参考例句:
  • The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
  • Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨,血本无归。
5 configuration nYpyb     
n.结构,布局,形态,(计算机)配置
参考例句:
  • Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。
  • Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异,从119美元至199美元不等。
6 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
7 knight W2Hxk     
n.骑士,武士;爵士
参考例句:
  • He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
  • A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
8 stabilize PvuwZ     
vt.(使)稳定,使稳固,使稳定平衡;vi.稳定
参考例句:
  • They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
  • His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。
9 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
10 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
11 buckling buckling     
扣住
参考例句:
  • A door slammed in the house and a man came out buckling his belt. 房子里的一扇门砰地关上,一个男子边扣腰带边走了出来。
  • The periodic buckling leaves the fibre in a waved conformation. 周期性的弯折在纤维中造成波形构成。
12 ebullient C89y4     
adj.兴高采烈的,奔放的
参考例句:
  • He was ebullient over the reception of his novel.他因小说获好评而兴高采烈。
  • She wrote the ebullient letter when she got back to her flat.她一回到自己的寓所,就写了那封热情洋溢的信。
13 gliding gliding     
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的
参考例句:
  • Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
  • The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。
14 onlookers 9475a32ff7f3c5da0694cff2738f9381     
n.旁观者,观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
  • The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外,以示尊敬。
15 administrator SJeyZ     
n.经营管理者,行政官员
参考例句:
  • The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
  • He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。
16 plaque v25zB     
n.饰板,匾,(医)血小板
参考例句:
  • There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
  • Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。
17 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
18 licenses 9d2fccd1fa9364fe38442db17bb0cb15     
n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准,许可,颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句
19 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
20 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
21 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初,开始
参考例句:
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
22 uncertainties 40ee42d4a978cba8d720415c7afff06a     
无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 ); 不确定; 变化不定; 无把握、不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
  • Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告
23 licensing 7352ce0b4e0665659ae6466c18decb2a     
v.批准,许可,颁发执照( license的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
  • That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句
24 innovative D6Vxq     
adj.革新的,新颖的,富有革新精神的
参考例句:
  • Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
  • He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。
25 aerospace CK2yf     
adj.航空的,宇宙航行的
参考例句:
  • The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
  • Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。
26 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
27 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
28 simplicity Vryyv     
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
参考例句:
  • She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
29 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
TAG标签:
发表评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:点击我更换图片